Ship history

The 230-passenger vessel was built in Szczecin Poland and launched as ferry ship. The initial owner was FESCO - the Soviet Union / Russian shipping company (abbrev "Far Eastern Shipping Company") based in Vladivostok Russia. In the period 1986-1988, the ship operated a regularly scheduled ferry service from Vladivostok to Japan and South Korea.

In 1989, the vessel was renamed to "MS Russ" and homeported in Stockholm Sweden for regularly scheduled ferry service between Stockholm and Riga Latvia. In the period 1995-1997, it was chartered to the "Pacific Cruise Company". During summer 2000 (as MS Russ"), the ship operated on the route between Odessa Ukraine and Haifa Israel (Black Sea - Eastern Mediterranean). In 2001, the ship operated on cruises between Russia and Japan.

In July 2012, the vessel was sold to the Miami-based company "International Shipping Partners Inc" and renamed "MS Ocean Atlantic". In July it arrived and remained docked in Gdynia (Gdansk) Poland until 2013. In the period 2015-2017, the cruise ship was homeported in Helsingborg Sweden. Following the 2017 refurbishment in Gdansk, the ship was chartered by Quark Expeditions (Seattle USA-based polar cruise travel company).

Ocean Atlantic cruise ship's passenger capacity is 198 (max), but when chartered by Quark Expeditions, its capacity is reduced to 132. This expedition ship has an ice-strengthened hull (ice class 1B) and is powered by four marine diesel engines (total power output 14400 kW). The ship has a fleet of 8 lifeboats (fully enclosed) and 20 Zodiacs (large-capacity inflatable boats used for landings and coastal cruising). The vessel has two stabilizers: (Electrofin SR-4). Its draft is 19 ft (6 m) allowing access to remote islands and unique coastal destinations. Ship-to-shore communications are via Inmarsat Capsat Fleet 77 (satellite phone and Internet).